


Used to Be Mine

by TidbitsAndThoughts



Series: Song Fic Stories [3]
Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: all aboard the angst train WOO WOO, also there's a brief moment that the prince gets bruised, also this song was like, but the Prince gets poked hard enough for it to bruise, nothing bad, so we've been working towards this angst, what started all this too be honest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26037631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TidbitsAndThoughts/pseuds/TidbitsAndThoughts
Summary: Snatcher can't seem to forget about his past no matter how hard he tries. Does he really hate the Prince like he would have everyone believe? Or does he hate that the Prince is gone...This fic is inspired by the song, "She Used To Be Mine" from the musical waitress! Here's a male cover by Caleb Hyles! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-NoGxrArFMPlease enjoy!
Series: Song Fic Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884079
Comments: 11
Kudos: 55





	Used to Be Mine

Snatcher turned the storybook Hat Kid had left him over in his hand. The title was _The Tale of Queen Vanessa_ , but it was his tale too. Or… once was his. He pushed over the cover, revealing a picture of the Prince and Vanessa holding hands. Painted hearts symbolized the love they shared. Snatcher frowned.

He tossed the book aside and flew out of his tree. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he didn’t care! It was his forest! He could do what he wanted! No permission needed!

Flying aimlessly, he eventually came to the subconite’s village. The souls of children and villagers waved and greeted him, but when he didn’t respond, they all kept their distance. He flew towards the well, a damp place to hide, but his shifting reflection gave him pause.

For a split moment, he didn’t recognize himself.

Snatcher flew to the edge of the well and perched at the top, looking down into the water streaming out of it.

Black-purple fluff around his neck. Or… what was probably a neck but more accurately described as the top of the tube that was his body. It infuriated him, how even though he spent centuries in this form, all it took was one reminder of the past and he saw himself for the monster he had become.

Centuries, but he still remembered the young man he had been.

How he despised him.

The imperfect prince who trusted easily and ignored the fine, red ink. The kind prince who lied about his needs. The prince who took the blame for all the hurt he suffered. Lonely. Lonely but good.

Looking in the water, Snatcher could picture the fluff around his neck as chestnut locks. He could imagine the gold in his eyes did not glow and was contained to only the irises. He could imagine what it would be like to lose his fangs and have a smile that didn’t drip with venom.

He was powerful now. Nothing could chain him. His contracts protected him. But this… was never what he asked for.

He remembered with an ache how… euphoric… he had been. He loved his beautiful wife. He loved _loved_ the child she gave him.

Hattie’s chestnut locks similar to his own would curl against her head and her smile—gosh her smile—lit up like the stars above. Somehow, she had been so mischievous and would escape her crib just to crawl over to him or Vanessa.

He remembered the way Vanessa had pulled away from Hattie whenever she crawled over to her mother. He remembered how he would swiftly cross over to scoop up their child, unraveling the red flags in Vanessa’s tight lips and cold countenance and diminishing the threads to mean nothing more than surprise at Hattie’s escape act.

If only he had paid attention. 

Snatcher hunched over, folding himself up as he buried his head in his hands.

He thought he had moved passed the despair of losing his daughter because he had been too weak to protect even himself. He had thought he blocked out every ounce of pain so that only anger fueled his actions as he ensured he never let himself be vulnerable again. He had thought dedicating himself to the forest and the spirits of his people had numbed him to the past.

What was different this time?

Hat Brat.

He rubbed at his temples, his eyes squeezed shut as he recalled the fear he had felt for the Kid when she was in the manor. Like it or not, he cared for her. Throwing Death Wish contracts hadn’t phased her one bit and even after all he had done, she still came around, telling him about her adventures across the planet trying to get every single Time Piece.

Why? Why did she keep coming back? Why did he want her to?

Why did he feel a warmth he hadn’t in centuries since he held his own daughter in his arms?

Sneering at his despicable feelings, he rubbed his eyes before staring at his reflection.

The purple prince looked back.

“Fu—” He leapt to his feet, staring at his form. He held out his purple hands, a reminder that even though, deep down, he might still look like the Prince, he was still dead.

A ghost of a man who lost everything. 

Clenching his hands, he focused and his reflection rippled as he reformed into his more intimidating, ghostly image. He made himself bigger, his talons extending into monstrous claws. His mane fanned out more like spikes than the usual soft tufts. His tail snaked below him, constantly trembling with pulsing shadows.

“And now I’ve got you,” he whispered to himself, digging his claws into his palms.

“Boss!” One of his minions came running up to the well, the golden light in their hood bobbling around.

“What?” Snatcher hissed, falling comfortably back into his familiar role in the forest. “This better be important or I’ll leave you in a tree somewhere.”

“The shadow queen.” The minion hadn’t even flinched at Snatcher’s threat but just uttering the title the dwellers gave Vanessa caused the doll to shiver. “Her ice in the augmented forest is acting up.”

“Make sure everyone is safe in the village and close the gate,” Snatcher ordered, his eyes narrowing.

The minion nodded before toddling off to the center of the village, where a cluster of dwellers were already waiting for Snatcher’s instructions.

While they worked to bring everyone inside the village, Snatcher flew off towards the augmented forest, otherwise known as his old neighborhood.

The augmented forest was a mess. Scattered gears and clock parts were embedded in soil. Chains and locks clung to trees. Royal banners with claw marks hung from branches around the remains of what was once the house of Prince Luka.

Snatcher avoided the home with a bookshelf leaning against a tree, the floating table and chairs that once hosted his visiting family and friends, and the locked truck full of original music scores. Instead, he wove through the iron gate that surrounded an impressive structure of ice and glass.

When he had been alive, there had been a clock tower there, maintained by his friend Tim. Now, the cobblestone structure of the clock tower was gone save for two arches that sandwiched the frosted glass shards suspended in air. Next to the shards was a strange pillar he had never given a second glance but—

Was that a top hat on the pillar? Purple and yellow like the kid’s signature hat?

Snatcher shook his head. First, he needed to assess the damage.

He could feel the cold coming from the glass and the usually bubbling spring below had frozen over. Ice had begun to stretch out along the ground, reaching for the cobblestone arches and pillar. Relieved that his minion had warned him before the ice had spread beyond the gate—which had happened before and took a lot of fire to melt—he coiled around the base of the glass and ice and ignited a small blue flame. He placed it into the frozen spring and soon the ice melted and the spring gurgled back to life. Snatcher floated back, watching to make sure his ghostly flame remained in the spring. It flickered in the water like magic.

Brushing the sparkling blue cinders from his talons, he floated back, suddenly very interested in the pillar. He thought back to when he was alive, trying to recall everything he could about his eccentric neighbor with an inclination for clairvoyance.

_“Tim! Good morning!” His sickening cheerful self called as he noted his older and shorter neighbor exiting his gate._

_“Morning, Prince Luka,” Tim’s gentle voice returned as he slowly joined the Prince on the worn path by his home. “Are you visiting the Princess?”_

_“Yes,” the Prince replied, holding up a picnic basket. “We’re meeting under our tree. I intend to tell her I was accepted into the academy today.” The feeling of dread gripped the Prince’s heart._

No. No. Snatcher shook his head, trying to stop the memory from drifting down unpleasant thoughts. He had to remember the tower. The tower!

_“I gather you’ve packed all her favorite foods in hopes of diminishing her disappointment?” Tim asked, the tower reaching for the sky behind him._

_“That obvious?” The Prince dipped his head in dismay._

No! Look up! Was the pillar there or not?

_“Prince,” Tim began his blue eyes drooping sadly. “You shouldn’t let the Princess dampen your achievements. It’s very admirable that you’re working towards bettering yourself.”_

_“I know,” Luka sighed. At least he sort of did. On one hand, he was abandoning his fiancé to study when her mother was already in poor health but on the other hand he was also working to be a just ruler for the kingdom. But could he even keep up with his studies? He had been accepted but had his royal title given him an extra boost? What if he couldn’t pass his classes? What if leaving was all for naught anyway and he disappointed Vanessa for nothing?_

_“Luka,” Tim brought him out of his spiraling thoughts calmly. “You earned your spot in the academy. You’ll learn so much that will improve the lives of your subjects.”_

_“How do you always seem to tell what I’m thinking?” The Prince tilted his head, the bare grey tower looming protectively over them._

_“You’re too easy to read,” Tim teased, reaching up and ruffling the Prince’s chestnut locks._

_He laughed, turning away from the tower and walking down the path with Tim._

Snatcher groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead. Well, at least he was pretty sure the pillar hadn’t been there before, or at least hadn’t been visible. He eyed the arches and tried to picture what had once been the circumference of the tower. The Pillar was inside the perceived circle, meaning it was possible that it had been part of the tower all this time and he just never noticed.

But he would still bring Hat Kid over to investigate.

Maybe make another contract.

Shaking his head, he flew back to the village, letting the dwellers know the ice was melted and they should be safe for the time being. While the dolls and spirits cheered, Snatcher turned swiftly and returned to his hollowed tree, intending to read to distract his nostalgic thoughts.

He paused before entering the illuminated room. A thorny branch curled up around his tree and, failing to stifle his lingering ache, he followed it.

The thorny branch had begun growing sometime between his imprisonment in the basement and his escape. When he had entered the ice encased forest, he had found the oak tree with the shadowy branch curling up against it, both frosted but somehow still thriving. The branch, he had discovered immediately, covered up the etching he had imprinted into the tree for his family. After some decades, he realized the branch grew with the tree, always working to obscure the etching from sight.

He was not sure if the shadow branch had come from him or Vanessa. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

But, now, he found the etching higher in the tree, dutifully covered by the trailing end of the branch. He gently nudged the branch away and found “L + V = H” with a loving heart carved around the H.

Perching on the branch with his tail wavering below, he placed a talon on the bark, astounded by how his large, ghostly hand overwhelmed the etching entirely. Curious, he glanced around to ensure no one was near before shrinking down to his prince form. His significantly smaller hands were the perfect size, that if he formed them into a heart shaped, they framed the heart around the H.

Letting his hands fall into his lap, he flexed his fingers.

This wasn’t what he had asked for.

What he wouldn’t give, to rewrite an ending or two.

_“Hmm,” the Prince hummed as he took a bite into his BLT, letting the salty bacon soothe his nerves. He replayed the same statement over and over in his mind. He could tell her. He could tell Vanessa that he was going to school._

_Once he opened his eyes, meeting emerald irises that were trained onto his lips. He swallowed, tilting his head. His chestnut bangs tumbled into his own eyes and when he brushed them back, Vanessa was leaning forward, reaching for his lips with her gloved hand._

_“You have a little lettuce stuck to your cheek, my Prince,” she muttered sweetly, daintily plucking the leaf._

_“Ah.” The Prince smiled brightly as she flicked the lettuce away. While she made sure the leaf hadn’t landed onto their lavender blanket, Luka leaned forward and stole a kiss._

_Vanessa’s ruby red lips widened into a smile after she turned in surprise._

_“Here I thought you were more interested in your sandwich than me.” She brushed her long blond hair over her shoulder._

_“What?” Luka laughed. “Never, my Princess.”_

Why hadn’t he noticed the gravity of those moments?

_“You what?” Her gaze had darkened. Though it was a sunny day, there was a chill in the air._

_“Princess, you have to understand, please,” Luka urged, reaching out and taking her hands which felt like ice despite the gloves. “If I go, I’ll learn so much that can help you rule.”_

_“I don’t need help to rule, I just need you!” Vanessa tore her hands away. She pushed to her feet and crossed her arms. “Is it because I’m not good enough?”_

_“No!” Luka insisted, jumping up and reaching out to her. “No, Vanessa,_ I’m _not good enough. I have to do better—be better—for the kingdom and for you!”_

_“You’re good enough for me! Why isn’t that enough?” Vanessa argued, thrusting an accusing finger into his chest._

_A shiver ran down his spine._

_“Va-Vanessa.” Why were his teeth chattering? Why did he feel so cold? He gently moved her hand from his chest, finding it harder to breathe. Was it just his anxiousness?_

_“Vanessa, please,” he continued between catching his breath. “I love you so much. What if—” he glanced around for ideas. Picnic basket. Silverware. Their tree. “What if I show you how permanent my love is for you?”_

_She crossed her arms again, scowling. But she stepped back, giving him space._

_Luka grabbed a butter knife from the basket and turned towards the tree. It was slow going, as the knife wasn’t made for bark, but luckily their initials were made of straight lines. Eventually he carved his and Vanessa’s initials into the tree. One glance over his shoulder told him she had calmed down, her posture relaxed and her fiery gaze softened._

_“See?” He tossed the knife back into the basket before offering her his hand. She took it and he held back a shiver. Instead, he put her gloved hand to the tree. “Our initials, L and V, make up the consonants for love. We were meant to be, and nothing can keep us apart.”_

_“Hmm,” she hummed thoughtfully, a smile spreading on her lips._

_“Fine,” she said after a few moments of letting her fingers linger over their etching. “You can go. But you better write me every day.”_

_“Of course.” The Prince kissed the top of her head._

_The next morning, he woke up with a tender bruise over his heart._

Snatcher looked back up at the etching, remembering the day he had added Hattie’s initial enthusiastically. Since he had had a chance to plan ahead, he brought a dagger that made it easier to add the curves for the heart.

He hunched over, propping his chin on his hand as he closed his golden eyes. He didn’t want to think about their daughter. He couldn’t.

It hurt too much to think that if he had just been a little stronger, a little wiser, he could have saved her.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. This was enough moping around. He shifted into his more comfortable, powerful form and flew into his tree. He landed on his chair and snapped his talons together, summoning one of his books.

Settling into the chair, he opened the textbook about law he hadn’t touched in a long while, eager to get his mind off of things.

Something fluttered out from between the pages and into his lap. He glanced down and picked up the paper covered in music notes and half-baked lyrics. The memory came all too quick.

_He perched at the piano, playing notes in fragmented strings as he tried to find the right ones, the gentlest ones. Papers balled up and covered in ink were scattered around him. His fingertips were black from the messy quill, causing him to leave fingerprints on the piano keys and the paper he kept track of his latest successes._

_His girls were sleeping and he finally had a moment to himself, late into the night. He finally had a chance to put to paper all the love that built in his chest every time he held his daughter._

_“Though shadows linger and nights grow cold,” he muttered as he glanced down at his notes, playing music to the lyrics, “my love is with you, yours to always hold.”_

_He wrote down his favorite notes and tried a few more._

_Soon, wailing filled the first floor._

_“Hattie!” Luka leapt to his feet, bumping the ink well. He swiftly steadied it, though a few splashes of ink stained his hands. He didn’t have time to dwell on it before Vanessa entered the room, holding their squirming, screaming child._

_“How could you leave me like this?” Vanessa hissed, her green eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep._

_“Sorry, love,” Luka appeased, wiping the ink onto his old shirt as he swiftly crossed over to his wife and child. “Vanessa, you have to support her head.” He quickly scooped Hattie up into his own embrace. He quickly cupped Hattie’s small head in his palm as he pressed her to his chest._

_She felt cold, he realized with dismay. Had he not tucked her in properly? Was that why she had woken up in a fit?_

_“Vanessa, why don’t you go back to sleep?” Luka began rocking Hattie gently, her sobs slowing down as warmth returned to her cheeks. “I can handle this.”_

_“You’ll come to bed soon, though, right?” Vanessa demanded. Her loud voice startled Hattie’s sobs back. Vanessa recoiled from the ear-splitting wail._

_“Shh,” Luka cooed softly, leaning down and nuzzling Hattie’s forehead. “You’re safe. It’s okay.” Once Hattie sniffled quietly, Luka turned to Vanessa._

_“I promise,” he whispered. “As soon as Hattie’s back asleep, I’ll join you.”_

_Vanessa whirled on her heels and promptly left. Luka sighed as he returned to the piano bench._

_Hattie, calming down after a minute of rocking, reached out a hand and tapped his chin. She squeaked in what almost seemed a question._

_“You know your Mama,” Luka responded with a restrained sigh. “A night owl she’s not.”_

_Hattie cooed, her bright blue eyes now dry of tears._

_“You are terribly cute, little Princess,” he smiled, leaning down and nuzzling his nose against hers. She let out a joyful squeal and he added, softly, “but you do need to get to sleep. Want to hear the song I’ve been working on?”_

_She babbled and he nodded seriously._

_“Wonderful. Here it is then.” Since both his hands were occupied cradling his child, he settled for just singing as he rocked her by the piano._

_“Shooting star, darting across the sky,” he sang as quietly as the moonlight glistened on the lake outside the manor, “may you never have a reason to cry. Through shadows linger and nights grow cold, my love is with you.” He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Yours to always hold.”_

_She yawned and nuzzled against his chest, her tiny hand wrapped around his shirt stained by ink. He continued humming, rocking her gently._

_The Prince held his child. The messy papers surrounded them. His kind lullaby lulled her to sleep._

Snatcher crumpled the forgotten draft in his hand. Without sparing it another glance, he ignited a blue flame in his palm, and it licked at the page, soon turning it to cinders. He shook the cinders from his hand and looked down at the law book.

The kind, gentle Prince and all he had loved and cherished were gone.

Droplets tumbled onto the open page below. Snatcher lifted a surprised hand to his face, finding a stream of tears.

Everything that used to be his, was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is really just fleshing out the Prince vs. Snatcher a little more but also I've been listening to this song for awhile day dreaming about Snatcher feeling like this about the Prince and I had to put it before all the fluff, so here it is! Let me know what you think! I appreciate any and all comments!


End file.
